Refrigerating apparatus having means for disposal of defrost water



June 13, 1950 L. A. PHILIPP 5 9 REF'RIGERATING APPARATUS HAVING MEANS FOR DISPOSAL OF' DEF'ROST WATER Filed March 7, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. [mms/vo( HAM/PP W a. &Jm

TTORNEY Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED REFRIGERATING APPARATUS HAVING MEANS FOR DISPOSAL OF DEFROST WATER Lawrence A. Philipp, Detroit, Micl., assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Ma'yland Application March 7, 1947, Serial No. 733,090

5 Claims.

This invention relates generally to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to household refrigerators.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved household refrigerator having an ice freezing compartment, a food freezing compartment and a cooling compartment.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of refrigerant evaporators to form ice making, food freezing and cooling compartments within a refrigerator cabinet.

A further object of the invention resides in an improved arrangement in a household refrigerator of the above mentioned character for conveniently and efiiciently collecting and disposing of water when the system is defrosting.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a household refrigerator embodying features of my invention, a door of the refrigerator cabinet being removed to show the interior thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of my refrigerator, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of the upper portion of my refrigerator taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical view of the system of my refrigerator.

Referrng to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral designates, in general, a household type of refrigerator cabinet. This cabinet preferably includes an outer metal casing l2 and an inner metal liner N. Interposed between the outer casing l2 and the liner M is insulation !6 which may be of any suitable type. The liner !4 defines a compartment ll having side walls l3, rear wall l and a top wall l'l. At the front of the cabinet, the compartment ll is closed by an access door l8 which may be hinged at one side thereof to the cabinet. Below the door l8 a second access door 20 closes the front of a machine compartment (not shown) located at the bottom of the cabinet.

within the compartment II, adiacent the liner top wall !1,1 provide heat absorbing means, comprising a box-like portion 22 and a laterally extending leg or plate portion 24. I provide this heat absorbing means by using two refrigerant evaporators, one of which is a U-shaped evaporator 26 and the other of which may be a plate or shelf type evaporator 30. However the two evaporators 26. 30 may be' combined into a single, integral unit, if desired. The U-shaped evaporator 26 is spaced from the liner top wall I'l and is preferably located adjacent one of the liner side walls !3 as shown in Figure 2. The other or shelf-type evaporator 30 is disposed immediately above the U-shaped evaporator 26. This shelf-type evaporator 30 exterds horizontally between the cabinet side walls i3 and between the door !8 and the rear wall |5 dividing the compartment li into an upper ice making compartment 32 and a lower food cooling compartment 34. Also, the shelf type evaporator 30 is arranged so that it extends across and closes the top of the U-shaped evaporator 26 forming therewith, a food freezing compartment 36.

In the machine compartment, closed by access door 20, there is a refrlgerant condensing unit comprising a motor-compressor unit 38 and a refrigerant condenser 40, shown in Figure 4. From the condenser 40, refrigerant is supplied through a capillary tube 42 to the evaporator 30 from which refrigerant is supplied through conduit 44 to the U-shaped evaporator 26 whence the refrigerant is returned to the motor-compressor unit 30 through return conduit 46.

The U-shaped evaporator 26 is made of sheet metal material formed to provide a bottom wall 48 and upstanding side walls 50 of the food freezing compartment 36. These walls are formed to contain the refrigerant, one of the side walls 50 having an inlet manifold 52 and the other of the side walls 50 having an outlet header 54. As shown in Figure 3, the U-shaped evaporator 26 and the plate type evaporator 30 are spaced from the front and rear walls of the cabinet to permit free circulation of air around the evaporators. Preferably, an access door 53 closes the front of the food freezing compartment 36 which door may be hinged to one side of the U-shaped evaporator 26.

The upper or plate type evaporator 30 preferably comprises a sinuous coil 55 which is preferably secured to the underside of a metal plate 56 for increased supporting and heat conducting surface. On the plate 56, a number of ice trays 58 may be supported. The evaporator plate 56 is preferably stiffened by reinforcing angle members 60 extending around outer marginal portions thereof, the angle members 60 preferably being welded to the underside of the plate, outwardly of the evaporator coil 30. Side channel 62 and a connecting top plate 63 cooperate with the evapanima s orator plate 56 to provide a boxlike ice tray compartment. These side channels 62, upper plate !I and the lower evaporator plate I. may be welded or may be otherwise suitably secured together providing a frame for suspending the evaporator from the top wall of the cabinet. Preferably, the ice tray compartment is open at the rear thereof. but the front is pre'ferably closed by a door 66. The door 66 may be hinged, adjacent its bottom edge to the liner sides !3 by pivot pins 66 secured in and to the liner. The U-shaped evaporator 26 is secured to the underside of the evaporator 30 and the two evaporat'ors are suspended as a unit from the top wall of the liner by bolts and nuts 69 extending through the liner top wall l1 and through the top plate 63 of the ice tray compartment. At one side of the evaporator 26, a reinforcing angle member may be used to connect or secure the evaporators 26, 30 together, the angle member 10 preferably being welded to one side of the evaporator 26 and to the underside of the plate reinforcing angle 60. At the other side of the evaporator 26 an angle member 1| is welded thereto and to the underside of the evaporator plate 56 to secure the evaporators together. In the back wall of the cabinet o, an opening 14 is provided for removal of the evaporators 26, 30 as a unit, the opening being closed by an inner, removable plate 15 which may be Secured to the rear wall of the liner by screws,

or other suitable means.

Immediately beneath the U-shaped evaporator 26, I provide a drip pan 16 to catch the drip from the evaporator 26 on defrosting of the system. This drip pan 16 may be supported on an upper shelf 11 of the food storage compartment which compartment may have a number of lower shelves 18. These shelves 11, 18 are preferably of the perforated type to allow for air circulation throughout the food storage compartment 34.

Immediately beneath the laterally extending portion or leg 24 of the heat absorbing means, I provide a drip baffle plate 80. This bame plate 80 has an upturned ange 8l along the front, rear and outer side edges thereof, the flange BI being omitted along the side edge which is disposed toward the evaporator 26. The bame plate 80 is arranged at an angle, sloping downwardly toward the adjacent side of the evaporator 26, terminating just above the outwardly bulging side wall header 52 of the evaporator 26. Thus, when the system is defrosting, water dripping onto the bame plate 80, is caused to run down onto the evaporator header 52 and then run down the adjacent side wall of the evaporator 26 into the drip pan 16 therebeneath. Adjacent one side of the evaporator 26, the drip bame plate 80 is supported on a pair of spaced horizontal angle members 82, only one of which are shown, the angle members preferably being welded to the evaporator connecting angle member 1l. At its opposite side edge, the evaporator 26 may be supported by the opposite side wall of the cabinet on a pair of spaced pins 84 Secured in and to the liner.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that I have provided an improved household refrigerator having a food cooling compartment, a food freezing compartment and an ice making compartment. It will also be noted that I have accomplished the above by the provision of heat absorbing means having a box portion and a leg portion economically obtained by using a U- shaped evaporator and a plate type evaporator arranged to form the different compartments. In addition, both evaporators 26, !I are arranged to cool the food storage compartment 34. For

example, the evaporator. 26 is positionedin spaced relation to the cabinet walls so that air.from the food storage compartment is free to circ'ulate over the evaporator. Also, air rising at the front of the cabinet passes under the evaporator door 66 between the evaporator and the bame plate 60, the cooled air passing out of the open back of the ice tray compartment into the food compartment therebelow.

Although only a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated, and that form described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet having a compartment, heat absorbing evaporator means in said compartment, said heat absorbing evaporator means including a box-portion forming a food freezing compartment and a laterally extending portion dividing the cabinet compartment into an upper ice making compartment and a lower cooling compartment, a drip pan immediately below said box portion, and a drip bafile immediately below said laterally extending portion arranged to effect flow of water dripping thereon to said box portion.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet having top and upright walls of a compartment, a U-shaped evaporator disposed in said compartment in spaced relation to the top wall thereof, a second evaporator in the compartment disposed above said first evaporator, said second evaporator extending across said compartment between said upright walls dividing the compartment into an upper ice making compartment and a lower cooling compartment, the second evaporator having a portion thereof extending across said U-shaped evaporator cooperating therewith to form a food freezing compartment, a drip pan immediately below the U-shaped evaporator, and a drip bame immediately below the remaining portion of the second evaporator arranged at an angle to eifect flow of water thereon to the first evaporator.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet having a compartment including side, rear, front and top walls, a refrigerant evaporator disposed in said compartment adjacent one of said side walls, a second evaporator extending across the width of the cabinet and between the front and rear walls above the first evaporator for supporting ice trays. said second-named evaporator extending across the top of the first evaporator cooperating therewith to form a food freezing compartment, a drip pan immediately below the first evaporator, and a drip baflle disposed laterally of' the first evaporator immediately below the second evaporator, said drip bailie being arranged to slope toward the first evaporator to deposit water thereon when defrosting.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, a cabinet, a cooling element within said cabinet adjacent one upright wall thereof, a horizontal partition member within said cabinet laterally disposed with respect to said cooling element and extending toward a wall of said cabinet opposite said one wall, said cooling element and said partition membercooperating to form walls of a food storage compartment and a second compartment, a drip pan beneath said cooling element, and a drip bame member beneath said partition member arranged to direct drlp water to said drip pan.

5. Refrigeratng apparatus comprising, a cablnet, a cooling element within said cabinet adj.- cent one upright wall thereof, a horizontal partition member within said cabinet laterally disposed with respect to said cooling element and extendng toward a wall of said cabinet opposite said one wall, said cooling element and said partition member cooperating to form walls of a food storage compartment and a second compartment, a drip pan beneath said cooling element. and a drip bame member beneath said partition member above said drip pan arranged to direct drip water from said partition onto said cooling 15 2,425,021

element.

LAWRENCE A. PHILIPP.

REFEBEN CES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,018,747 Stout Oct. 29, 1935 2,079.349 Heltman May 4, 1937 2,114,764 Gerhardt Apr. 19, 1938 2,132,836 Summers Oct. 11, 1938 2,20 ,808 Hanner May 28. 1940 2,254,118 Kucher Aug. 26, 1941 2,261,682 Hedlund Nov. 4, 1941 2,411,376 Johnson Nov. 19, 1946 Anderson Aug. 5, 1947 

